Suspenders.



PATENTED MAR. 17, 1903. H. G. HINE.

SUSPENDERS.

Jazz/mar r al/me UNITED STATES 7 PATENT @FFIQE.

HENRY C. HINE, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

SUSPENDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 723,202, dated March 17, 1903. Application filed'September 2,1902. Serial No. 121,789. (No model.)

T on whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY O. HINE, a citizen of the United States, residing in New Britain,

in the county of Hartford and State of (Jonnecticut, have invented certain new and use, ful Improvements in Suspenders,'of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to suspenders and other garment-supporters; and its principal object is to simplify, cheapen, and improve the connection between the shoulder-straps and the button-end.

This invention relates principallyto the class of devices set forth in the patent granted to me September 9, 1902, No. 708,882.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a general view of a pair of suspenders made according to my present improvements, the connection between the shoulder-straps and the button-end being shown partly in section. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the lever and its attached hanger. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the part shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 is a view of a hanger, the bearingballs upon which it rides being shown in dotted lines.

The shoulder-strap lever is designated as A, and the hanger for, the Suspender-end as B, the former being connected by attachments 0 andc to the shoulder-strap, said attachments being inserted at b and pivoted to the lever at d and d. The leverconsists of a pair of plates 6 and 6, preferably formed by folding up a single sheet-metal blan k, the attachments c and 0 being inserted between said plates. The hanger is connected to a suspender-end or end piece 1'". At the lower central portion the lever is widened at 10 and 10', the edges of the widened portions being bent inwardly-at a and a, to form a segmental groove or cradle, within which is preferably carried a complete set of bearing-balls g.

The hanger B isxpreferably formed of a single plate of sheet metalihavin g at its lower end an eye 8 for the button-end or end piece fand at-its upperportion a segmental slot D, which incloses the cradle a, a, the upper or convexly-curved edge or tread C of said slot forming a rocker edge which rides upon the balls g.

The lever-plates may be connected by transverse fastener e, preferably at the center of the circle of which the tread 0 forms a segment.

The lever A and hanger or frame B, taken together, form an equalizer which prevents undue stress being put upon either of the shoulder-straps during the movements of the body of the wearer.

It will be observed that the parts of the ball-bearing joint are easily formed. and assembled and that but a few bearing-balls are necessary, while ample vibration or rocking of the lever upon the hanger is provided for.

It will be seen that the shoulder-strap lever A and the suspender-end hanger B are connected by a cradle and a rocker, the former being preferably provided upon the lever and the latter upon the hanger, and means, as e, are also provided for maintaining the cradle and rocker in operative relation; that preferably the cradle is provided upon the lever and the rocker upon the hanger; that preferably the rocker is in the form of a struckup channel or groove provided upon the lever; that preferably one of the lever and hanger elements has a set of rollers g and the other has a rocker portion which rides upon the rollers; that preferably the lever is provided with a struck-up segmental groove and the hanger is inserted between the leverplates and has a segmental rocker portion or tread concentric with said groove, and that preferably one edge of the slot D forms a rocker. These several features of construction may, however, be departedfrom, and especially the arrangement of parts may be reversed within the scope of my invention. Portions of my improvements may be used without others. 1

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In agarment-supporter, the com bination with shoulder-st raps, of an equalizer attached thereto, said equalizer comprising a sheetmetal lever, a sheet-metal hanger-{said lever and hanger being connected by a ball-bean ing joint and said joint comprising a segmental cradle upon the lever, a complete set of balls mounted in said cradle, and said hanger having a segmental rocker edge riding upon said balls; and a suspender-endattached to said hanger.

2. As an improved connecting device for garment-supporters, a sheet metal member having means for attaching to a strap and provided with a struck-up portion which forms a segmental ball-channel,a complete set of balls in said channel, and a cooperating sheet-metal member also having attaching means and provided with a segmental edge which rides upon said balls.

3. In a'connecting device for garment-supporters, the combination of a sheet-metal member having two walls, each wall being provided with a struck-up portion to form a segmental ball-channel, a set of balls in said channel, and a sheet-metal hanger interposed between said balls and having a slot, one portion whereof is curved and rides upon said balls, and means for holding said sheetmetal elements together.

4. In a suspender of the class described, the combination with shoulder-straps, of an equalizer carried thereby and comprising a lever; a hanger provided with a segmental slot; said lever being formed of folded sheet metal and confining said hanger; a transverse fastener for the sides of said lever; a segmental ball-channel formed by the sides of said lever; a complete set of balls within said channel and slot, and strap attachments pivoted to the ends of said lever.

5. The combination of a shoulder-strap lever, asuspender-end hanger, one of said members having a segmental cradle and the other having a segmental rocker, and a set of bearing-balls between said cradle and rocker.

6. The combination of a sheet-metal suspender-end hangerhavinga segmental rocker edge, a sheet-metal shoulder-strap lever having a segmental cradle, and a set of balls in said cradle.

7. The combination of a sheet-metal shoulder-strap lever, a sheet-metal suspender-end hanger, one of said members having a curved edge and the other having a struck-up groove, said curved edge and said groove having the relation of segmentalcradle and rocker, and a set of balls within said groove.

8. The combination of afolded sheet-metal shoulder-strap lever having opposite struckup portions which form a groove, a sheetmetal hanger inserted between the folds of said lever and having a segmental tread concentric with said groove, and a complete set of bearing-balls between said tread and said groove.

9. The combination of a folded sheetmetal shoulder-strap lever having along its lower edge struck-up portions which form a cradle, a sheet-metal hanger inserted within the fold of said lever and having a rocker, and a complete set of balls between said rocker and said cradle. v

10. The combination of a shoulder-strap lever and a hanger; one of said members having a segmental cradle and the other thereof having a slot one edge whereof forms a segmental rocker.

11. The combination of a shoulder-strap lever and a hanger; one of said members consisting of a pair of plates which have struckup portions forming a segmental groove; and the other of said members being inserted between said plates and having a slot one edge whereof is curved to correspond with said groove; a set of bearing-balls between said rocker and said groove; and a transverse fastener for said plates.

12. The combination of a shoulder-strap lever formed of folded sheet metal and formed at its lower edge into a cradle, a sheet-metal hanger inserted within the fold of the lever and having an opening one edge whereof forms a rocker; and a complete set of bearing-balls between said rocker and said cradle.

13. The combination of a shouldenstrap lever consisting of a pair of plates and having a segmental groove; a complete set of bearing-balls in said groove; and a hanger having a part that rides upon said balls.

14. The combination of a folded shoulderstrap lever formed at its lower edge into a cradle; a complete set of bearing-balls in said cradle; and a hanger having a segmental slot inclosing said cradle; the upper edge of said slot forming a rocker which rides upon said balls.

HENRY C. HINE.

Witnesses:

F. W. BARNACLO, RALPH JULIAN SAoHERs. 

